Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Atherstone, Chidley, Joy, Sankey, Tailford and Wheeler.

Four Members declared an interest in Agenda Item 12, Councillor Beale’s motion:

-       Councillor Babbage is a governor of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust and will therefore hand over to the Deputy Mayor to chair this item;

-       Councillor Boyes’s husband and Councillor Harvey’s daughter work for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust;

-       Councillor Bamford drives a van for the GHNHS Trust once a week.  

Minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2023

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 June were approved and signed accordingly as a true record.

The Mayor did not have any announcements to make on this occasion.

The Leader shared the following updates:

-       at this year’s Local Government Conference, CBC, together with Cynam, Stroud High School and Sopra Steria hosted a well-received and well-attended session to showcase their work to promote and educate young women in the cyber-digital world;

-       as part of our commitment to combatting climate change, CBC has provided £10k funding to Planet Cheltenham, towards the installation of green energy equipment for a new community space in one of our less affluent wards;

-       at July Cabinet, the first CIL neighbourhood fund was approved, providing £128k for 16 projects across the unparished areas of the borough; thanks to the cross-party panel for their work on this;

-       as part of Black History Month, together with our partners, CARE, children from across the borough were invited to write or draw a piece about living in Cheltenham.  The winning entries will be heard at the Literature Festival, hopefully with two actors assisting with performances and beginning a discussion with the young people;

-       thanks to officers in the public protection team for a fantastic job dealing with the recent influx of travellers in a swift, highly-professional and effective manner;

-       Members are encouraged to respond to the consultation on the proposed closure of Cheltenham’s rail ticket office;

-       thanks to the LGA team who conducted a corporate peer review last week, and to all the officers and partners who contributed. The report will be shared with Members when it is received, but the overall message is that CBC is well regarded by stakeholders and partners, and  has highly-qualified officers and members with a clear sense of purpose;

-       thanks to Steve Mawson for working with CBC, and good luck to him in his new post as CEO of Kirklees Council;

-       congratulations and good luck to Darren Knight, who will leave CBC in September to take up a new role as Deputy CEO of Warwick District Council; thanks for his energy, commitment and tenacity to get results for any task he is asked to undertake;

-       after more than 35 years of service to the council and Cheltenham residents, Mike Redman has decided to move on to pastures new.  Thanks to him for all his hard work.

None had been received.

There were none.

Four Member questions had been received.

1.  Question from Councillor Julian Tooke to Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Culture, Tourism and Well-being, Councillor Max Wilkinson

It has been suggested in the press, on the strength of a comment of a member of this council, that Cheltenham might lose its ‘spa status’ because the Pittville Pump Room waters are not drinkable at present.  Please can the cabinet member confirm whether  it is possible for a settlement to ‘lose spa status’ and whether that is a risk to this town.  As the member for Pittville where the Pump Room is located, my concern is that these rumours and the associated negative publicity is to the detriment of the town’s brand image and massively important tourism sector.

Response from Cabinet Member

I was surprised to read the media coverage about the ‘risk’ that Cheltenham might ‘lose its spa town status’.  The initial report seems to have been written on the strength of speculation to the press by a member of this council.  I’m sure that all of us consider our duties as members before we pass comment and that the member in question did not intend to cause difficulties for the town or needless alarm to local residents.

Officers have investigated this matter and I have personally taken part in the information-gathering activities.  This Council is not aware of any process, committee or organisation that could take away Cheltenham’s ‘spa town status’.  We have checked this with Historic England, which confirmed our view.  I am therefore happy to reassure Cllr Tooke, all members of this council and local residents that Cheltenham cannot lose its ‘spa town status’.  As part of my investigations, I recently visited Harrogate, which was a spa town long before Cheltenham.  Harrogate’s Spa water has not been available to drink since 2012 due to safety issues.  Harrogate is still marketed as a spa town.  I have appended pictures for members.

Following other questions from local residents and members of this council, I have asked officers whether the source from which the Pump Room water is drawn, is contaminated as a result of the well-publicised national sewage dumping scandal.  This scandal has included raw sewage being allowed to flow into the Hatherley Brook and River Chelt.  It is my understanding that sewage dumping in rivers is unlikely to be the cause of the contamination of the spa water under the Pittville Pump Room.

Work is on-going to address the safety issues with Cheltenham’s water and members will receive an update in due course.  In the meantime, I would urge all members to seek advice from officers of this council before engaging in speculation which might harm this town’s tourism industry and the very many hospitality businesses that benefit from tourism spend.

Supplementary question from Councillor Tooke

It is good to hear that Cheltenham won’t lose its spa status, but disappointing that this rumour spread across the media and could have undermined tourism and businesses.  What steps can the council take  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets introduced the report and policy, one of the shortest he has ever seen but brought to Council because the policy is significant.  Its purpose is to reconfirm that war disablement and war widow/widower’s pensions should be disregarded as income when calculating entitlement to housing benefit and would be the right thing to do.  He commended the report to Council.

There were no questions; one Member commented that he fully supported this excellent scheme.

RESOLVED (unanimously) THAT:

1.    the Housing Benefit War Pensions Disregard  Policy in appendix 2 to confirm that war pensions should continue to be fully disregarded in the calculation of Housing Benefit is approved’

2.    decisions relating to the application of these income disregards are delegated to the Head of Revenues and Benefits andofficers in the Revenues and Benefits team

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets presented the outturn report which showed the actual income and expenditure in the year against the revised budget figures approved by Council in February. He said the past 12 months have been an economic rollercoaster, resulting in significant financial pressures, with inflation increasing from 5.1% to over 11% (now around 7.9%), ten interest rate increases, and energy prices tripled since the original 2022-23 budget was approved. These challenges have placed huge pressure on our costs and resources; the revised budget included the increased costs, and Council approved use of general balances to balance the budget, possible because of a sizeable legal settlement received by the council in May 2022. The actual outturn positions reports that £2.606m of general balances was required rather than the £2.505m budgeted which represents a £101,000 overspend against the revised budget.

He said we must continue to be vigilant throughout 2023/24 as general balances are finite and we cannot continue to rely on these year after year to balance our budget. The outturn report reflects the importance of strengthening our reserves to bring our general balance levels to the optimum level, as recommended by our Section 151 Officer, and therefore moved the recommendations as laid out in the report.

There were no questions or debate on this item.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets thanked officers of the finance and assets team for their very hard work behind the scenes, and commended the report. 

RESOLVED THAT: 

1.    the financial outturn performance position for the General Fund is received, and Council notes that in delivering services in 2022/23, after the application of carry forward requests and following the use earmarked reserves, there was an overspend of £101,294 against the 2022/23 revised budget approved by Council on 20 February 2023;

2.    £859,147 of carry forward approved by the Section 151 Officer under delegated powers at Appendix 5 is noted, and £72,000 of carry forward requests which require Member approval is approved;

3.    the annual treasury management report at Appendix 7 and the actual 2022/23 prudential and treasury indicators are noted;

4.    the capital programme outturn position as detailed in Section 7 of this report  and Appendix 8 is noted, and  the carry forward of unspent budgets into 2022/23 and the inclusion of two new projects in the 2023/24 capital programme with no additional funding commitment required from the Council is approved;

5.    the year end position in respect of Section 106 agreements and partnership funding agreements at Appendix 9 is noted;

6.    the outturn position in respect of collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates for 2022/23 in Appendix 10 is noted;

7.    the financial outturn performance position for the Housing Revenue Account for 2022/23 in Appendix 11 is received, and the carry forward of capital budgets from 2022/23 into 2023/24 as set out in Appendix 12 are approved.    

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets said the report sought Members’ agreement to put the Municipal Offices up for sale - a hugely significant decision, as the council has been involved with this iconic building for over 100 years.  The council’s Strategic Asset Management Strategy reviews and monitors its properties to ensure they are delivering the best financial and strategic returns and delivering the best value for Cheltenham residents. The many changes in the size and shape of the council, and particularly hybrid working which was grown since the pandemic mean that our accommodation needs are no longer suited to this building. 

This has presented a timely opportunity to consider the long-term purpose and uses of the Municipal Offices, to ensure it continues to play an active role in shaping a vibrant future for the town centre whilst enabling CBC to remain financially sustainable.  Wide consultation across the town has been undertaken, with the views and opinions the Civic Society, Local History Society, Architects’ Panel, Chamber of Commerce, BID, community sector representatives and representatives of youth groups, including CBC’s apprentices, taken into account – these are summarised in the report.  English Heritage is also keen to be involved.

He recognised that Members would have a range of valid views and opinions to share, and ended by summarising the recommendations of the report, including a commitment to bring a report to Council for a final decision on the future of this iconic building.    

In response to Member questions, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets and Executive Director for Finance, Assets and Regeneration confirmed that:

-       there is currently no firm plan for where the council might move to when the time comes, with the focus currently on the disposal of the Municipal Offices.  The council-owned Delta Place and Ellenborough House have been discussed, but it could be some time before future accommodation needs to be sought.  Where it goes will depend on what is available at that time, and how the needs of the council may have changed;

-       the Cumulative Annual Cash Flows by Option graph does not include the increases in the value of the asset with the investment of a full refurbishment; it models the cash flow impact rather than a balance sheet valuation of any additional investment;

-       the value of the asset would increase at the point of investment, but a formal valuation for the Statement of Accounts 12 months later may very well decrease significantly.  Local government finances don’t allow for depreciation in absolute cash terms; any revaluation downwards would be treated in the accounts as an impairment loss but wouldn’t have any impact on the council-tax payer.

In debate, Members made the following comments:

-       whilst recognising the need to make changes in the way the building operates, the report focuses on the sale but doesn’t analyse options at this stage, which is not entirely satisfactory.  Previous discussions over the last 50 years have concluded that the council needs to retain an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

Councillor Baker, as Deputy Mayor, took the Chair for this agenda item.

Motion A

Proposed by: Councillor Graham Beale

Seconded by:  Councillor Martin Horwood

Cheltenham Maternity Matters

This Council:

1. Notes with concern the current extended closure until at least October this year of Cheltenham's maternity unit, the Aveta Birth Centre, to be followed by a “further review”;

2. Notes and welcomes the excellent reputation of the midwife-led centre and its community midwifery and ante-natal services, the central importance of choice for local mothers in the planning of local maternity services and agrees with the Royal College of Midwives that "placing women at the centre of their own care is crucial to improving pregnancy outcomes for both mother and baby";

3. Further notes and welcomes the finding of the 2016 Cumberlege report into better maternity outcomes that "women almost universally value local services" and that maternity services need to be "safer, more personalised, kinder, professional and more family friendly" and believes that smaller, local facilities like Aveta provide just such a service in a way that is inevitably harder in much larger, less personal units;

4. Notes that the stated reason for the extended closure is the increasing vacancy rate and difficulty in recruiting midwives, understands the pressures on the NHS not least in recruitment and retention following our separation from the EU and the government’s mismanagement of workforce planning;

5. But recalls with concern that staffing issues were given as the reasons for the initial closure or downgrade of other services at Cheltenham General Hospital including the 24-hour Type 1 A&E service which has never been restored and the piecemeal loss of other services including our children's ward and general surgery which have never been reversed;

6. Welcomes the recent announcement of a £2.7m investment in maintaining a purpose-built birth unit and earnestly hopes that this investment is not at risk from the extended closure and uncertainty;

7. Remembers the huge public campaign, Cheltenham Maternity Matters, to save Cheltenham's maternity unit from proposed closure in 2006 which brought together MPs, this council, trades unions and royal colleges and local campaigners and reflected the huge support from local people for a friendly, local maternity service within quick and easy reach;

8. Invites the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities to communicate the contents of this motion to the chief executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and all members of the NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, and to seek reassurance that the NHS remains unambiguously committed to a permanent maternity service at Cheltenham General Hospital.

_____________________________________________________________

In proposing the motion, Councillor Beale began by sharing the documented evidence that crash test dummies, for many years based on the average male body shape, had caused significantly more women than men to be seriously or fatally injured in car crashes, and once this was established, it took a further 20-30 years of research and testing to resolve.  When becoming a father ten years ago, he realised how little support some women  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

There were none.

The committee is recommended to approve the following resolution:-

“That in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the remaining agenda items as it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public are present there will be disclosed to them exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 5, Part (1) Schedule (12A) Local Government Act 1972, namely:

Paragraph 3; Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular

person (including the authority holding that information)

Paragraph 5; Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

RESOLVED THAT:

-        in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the remaining agenda items as it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public are present there will be disclosed to them exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 5, Part (1) Schedule (12A) Local Government Act 1972, namely:

Paragraph 3: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Paragraph 5: Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

Exempt minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2023

RESOLVED THAT

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 June were approved and signed accordingly as a true record.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Customer and Regulatory Services

The Cabinet Member Customer and Regulatory Services introduced the report.

Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and speak in the debate.

RESOLVED THAT

The recommendations be approved.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets introduced the report.

Members were given the opportunity to ask questions to which responses were provided by the Cabinet Member and officer. Following debate it was

RESOLVED

That the recommendations be approved.